1. Technical Field
This invention relates to locking apparatuses and, more particularly, to a water spigot locking apparatus for prohibiting unauthorized access to a spigot.
2. Prior Art
Water in most parts of the country is plentiful and inexpensive. There are parts of the country, though, where fresh water is in short supply simply because there are insufficient sources or because high ambient temperatures necessitate high water usage. In these areas, water necessarily must be conserved.
The cost of water can be sufficiently high to motivate someone to steal it. For instance, a neighbor or unwanted individual can very easily tap into a homeowner's water source through an outside water faucet. When the homeowner is away, it is a simple matter of connecting a garden hose to the unsuspecting homeowner's outdoor faucet and turning it on. Water diverted to the neighbor's yard for watering their grass and other purposes can be expensive. It can also be difficult to detect since any indication that there has been a wrongdoing only comes with a water bill, which can be long after the fact.
In response to this problem, the use of spigot locking means has been introduced into the prior art. Although such apparatuses and devices are effective in their respective purposes, they still have a number of drawbacks. One example shows a housing that is attached to a support surface and positioned about the spigot emerging from the support surface. Such a spigot locking device is not very aesthetically appealing and is further limited in use to spigots emerging from walls, and not to free-standing ones. It is also rather cumbersome in design and expensive to produce.
Another example shows a spigot locking apparatus that is positioned about the turn knob and the outlet port thereof. Such an example requires a separate padlock to be purchased in order to allow for the proper functioning thereof. Thus, the cost of locking one's spigot or faucet is unnecessarily increased.
Accordingly, a need remains for a water spigot locking apparatus in order to overcome the above-noted shortcomings. The present invention satisfies such a need by providing a spigot locking apparatus that is easy to use, durable in design, easily produced, useable on a variety of spigots and faucets, and effectively secures spigots and faucets from unauthorized use. The water spigot effectively increases a user's peace of mind, since they know that their water is not being used without warrant while they are away from their house.